Author Laura Powell

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies and a giveaway!

Peanut butter and chocolate is one of those classic combination’s like meat and potatoes, apple pie and vanilla ice cream, Sonny and Cher. The two were made for each other, right? So I saw an adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe for Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies over at Fake Ginger. I decided to simplify the recipe even more by using a brownie mix. They turned out delicious. Soft chocolaty brownie with sweet peanut butter pockets throughout. What a better way to start of the weekend than with these babies! YUM! I think the kiddos would love to come home from school to one of these with a big glass of milk. These were gone in a flash at my house.

I also have a fabulous giveaway today from Nestle. This should help one lucky reader start the school year off right. The Nestle prize pack includes a $25 gift card to Walmart to help with school supplies, a NESQUIK® lunch box, product from RAISINETS® and a mix of free coupons from NESTLÉ® Pure Life, OVALTINE®, TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, TOLL HOUSE Morsels, NESQUIK, COFFEE-MATE®, DRUMSTICKS® and CARNATION® BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS™ to help with breakfast, lunches for school, and snacks for after school.

Additionally, there is a larger giveaway at nestlefamily.com which is the Happy New School Year Sweepstakes. You can enter every day for a chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 worth of back-to-school essentials plus a $2,000 NESTLÉ Literacy Grant for your school, as well as daily prizes from Crayola. The sweepstakes ends October 15, 2010.

This giveaway is also in partnership with Reading is Fundamental. As a proud partner of RIF, the NESTLÉ Family is sending me $50 worth of books to donate to a local RIF school of my choice. I am thrilled to be able to give those books to my local school on their behalf.

To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment about a back to school tradition that you have. Do you make a certain breakfast on the first day of school? Do you take each child on their own shopping trip for clothing or supplies? Whatever you do, let me know. You have until MondaySeptember 13 at 10 pm (MST) to enter. Winner will be selected using random.org and will be notified by email.

Make batter according to direction on box for cake like brownies. (This usually means just adding 3 eggs instead of 2)

Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.

Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of half of the peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. I put 9 drops.

Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining half of filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers. Be careful to not get the knife to the very bottom of the batter of you may cut the foil.

Bake according to brownie mix directions for 8 x 8 inch pan until a toothpick inserted into brownies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Makes 9-12 brownies.

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We are on year round school, so come the first day it feels like we are only going back on track. I do let me kid eat whatever she wants on that breakfast. Plus I leave a note in her lunch box. This last first day, we had family visiting. So I have everyone write something on her note the first day of school. She thought it was neat to get notes from aunts, grandmas etc.

We do the whole nine yards!!! During the summer I scour sales for BTS items, notebooks, binders, backpacks, etc. The week before school, we all go shopping for new outfits (kids only get the new outfits…darn!). First morning, I always make a pancake/waffle/frenchtoast breakfast with real maple syrup, sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs. The night before I pack a fantastic lunch for each of the four (their favorites). The first week we always catch up at dinnertime (new sports schedules, etc). By the second week, the kids are making their own lunches, and we are back to oatmeal for breakfast!

My girls are all grown now, but the first day of school was done big here!
I would make a nice big breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits and scarmbled eggs. I cant wait till my grandsons start school to see what my daughters do for them on the first day of school.

Well, I’ve started something of a tradition since I went back to college after a few years away — on the first day (and last day) of class, I will have breakfast/lunch there. The whole shebang, and the meal would depend on when the class is. It’s silly-ish, but it’s my tradition. 😉

Those brownies look amazing! My kids aren’t in school yet (but my husband still is! (: ) One of my favorite traditions from when I was growing up was to go out to dinner on the first day of school, and the last day. It was never anything fancy but it was always something we looked forward to!

My mom, sister, and I would always dedicate a full day to back-to-school clothes shopping, dinner, and ice cream! “Back to school” day was a day we always look forward to all year. Now I am a teacher, and my sister is still in school. So although I’m not a student anymore, we still get to have our girls’ day. Because hey- teachers should get new clothes for the school year too, right? 🙂

On the first day of school, when I go and pick my son from school at the end of the school day, I take him out for his choice of treat. He usually chooses to go and get ice cream, this year he chose to go and get smoothies.

Ohmygoodness …. those brownies look decadent! I just discovered your blog today … Mommy’s Kitchen had a link and featured your smores cookies – I’m having a sugar rush just thinking about how good these sound. Going to try them SOON! My kids are both grown now (and I have a 2 year old grandson!), but back in the day I was a working mom, but would always make arrangements on that first day back to be late and my kids and I would go to a local diner and have blueberry pancakes. To this day whenever I have blueberry pancakes it brings back to many fond memories.

I always make my children muffins for breakfast on the first day of school and take their pictures. I always went with them on the first day, too, but my sixth grader decided he didn’t need me there this year. They grow up so quickly.

Like many years now, we all go shopping for supplies and pick out 3 other children who cannot afford supplies, and get them set up for school. The kids expect this as part of our getting ready for school.

We do a little one on one shopping, which they love. And I always take a picture of them in their “first day of school outfits” as they are walking out the door. And by the way those brownies look awesome. Who doesn’t love the chocolate/peanut butter combo?

We always take a picture of the boys together……and then I keep a journal of that year. I need to incorporate a “breakfast” or something but i just don’t know if I’d have time to fix something any more than our normal breakfast. Maybe i need to get up earlier….nah 🙂

I let the kids each choose what they want to breakfast the first day of school and I become a short order cook. Every other day they have to agree on what I make or I just make something and they eat it.

We have an end of summer/back to school celebration the weekend before school starts and will generally go away for a day or two or do something special chosen by the kids. We take pictures at home and school on the first day of school.

We homeschool and each year I let the boys ‘name’ our school … so our first day of school always involves coming up with a new name for our little school. This year they chose “Squad School” because of their current obsession with Super Hero Squad.

Our tradition was to head to Target a few weeks before school started with our supply lists and Dad would always drive us crazy by singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” That song and that school supplies trip represent back to school to me!

I actually a few traditions for the 1st day of school. I have the normal take pictures and for kindergarten I have to go to school and take pics in their class room / seat. Also with our little bus stop we have a little breakfast on the first day of school. Usually some yummie homemade treat (doughnuts, cinnamon rolls etc), some fruit and some choc milk or juice. The kids really look forward to this and actually want to ride the bus on the first day.

I showed these brownies to my little guy and i think this will be what we make on Sunday for our weekly treat in his lunches!

I am a teacher so I still get to do the back to school days even though my children are adults. I always have a new outfit to wear on the first day that makes me feel confident and ready to meet my students.

My mom always made a special treat about the time we came home from school on the first day so the house would smell nice and welcoming and we could sit around and chat about the first day while enjoying the delicious treats. I have continued this tradition with my kids and they absolutely love it.

When I was growing up, my mom had us set out our new outfit, backpack, and supplies the night before and then she made us a special breakfast the next morning, and then took us out to the front porch to take our pictures. So this year when my oldest started Kindergarten, I thought it would be fun to have the same tradition…I think it makes things just a bit more exciting and fun, plus it makes a good memory.

My oldest will start kindergarten next year, but there are a few traditions I’d like to do when he starts school. I’d like to take a picture of him on the first day of every year. My mom used to do that when I was growing up, and it’s fun to look back at the pictures.

My kids get new lunch boxes every year and the first week of school we also get to take extra treats they wouldn’t normally have the rest of the year.
Also we start the school year off with father’s blessing and then a yummy dessert!!

We are just starting our “back-to-school” traditions. I take a picture of my son with his little brother before school, at school, and then after school on the first day of school. We always do it in the same spot so we will be able to compare them from year to year.

My oldest is just in first grade, so I haven’t really started any traditions… hmm… that makes me sound pretty lame. I do love your idea of having a certain breakfast on the first day of school, and actually this year I did make my sons homemade waffles and eggs (their favorite breakfast) for the first day of school. So maybe I’ll just keep that up. 🙂

We always take a picture of the kids on their first day of school. I’d like to start a ‘back to school feast’ tradition with a family theme for the school year like my friend does {we just didn’t think about it this year until school had already started — oh well, maybe a new year’s theme?}. Those brownies look so yummy, and that gift package is amazing! Thanks for the giveaway.

Always the DAY BEFORE school, we drive all our kids (6) to their various schools, all decked out in their first day of school outfit and back pack for picture taking on the school grounds and front doors.

My kids like this because the school yards are empty and they aren’t embarrassed by any of their friends “watching” their mom take loads of pictures. And I like this tradition, because I am free to get them to pose in a million ways without loads of people milling about and in my way of a good shot. ; D

We always have a back to school pizza night, the night before school and then we have the breakfast of the kids’ choosing the first day. I don’t like sending my kids off, so this makes it a little bit of fun and something to look forward to.

We are a homeschooling family, so our back to school tradition is to take a late summer vacation after most schools start. Nothing better than Disneyland in early September, great weather and low crowds.

My parents are both busy school teachers, so back to school was always hectic, leaving little time for traditions. However, we always went to breakfast as a family to celebrate the end of school of every school year.

We always got new sneakers and shoes and new school supplies when I went to school. We couldn’t “wait” to go shopping with my mom by ourselves (I have two sisters). I have a daughter who is a freshman in high school now and I still take her “back to school” shopping. Those brownies look wonderful!!

I always take the kids shopping for their new clothes each school year & every first day they have to have their picture taken on the front porch with their backpack even if they are in Jr High or older!

Those brownies look super yummy!! Well so far I just have one in pre-school but we went and picked out a special outfit for her first day. And made sure to take pictures in the front yard (my mom always did that!)

MMM! Those brownies sound divine…I want to make them RIGHT NOW! My kids aren’t quite old enough to start school yet but when I was growing up, we got to pick out a new lunchbox each year, had the annual picture with our bew outfit, and got a special father’s blessing to help us throughout the year 🙂

One of my traditions is to take the first day of school photo. One has to be taken in by the front door and one has to be taken at school.
This year on my daughters first day of first grade I didn’t fail to do either, but when I went to download there were big question marks where my daughter face should have been. My camera’s memory card went weird and now I lost my pictures for this year. Boo.
Thanks for the chance!

We have a special back-to-school dinner on the first night of school. I let them choose what they want for dinner, and I don’t even make them eat any vegetables unless they choose to! We also get ice cream after school on the first day of school.

My kids aren’t old enough for school yet, but I have plans for when they are. I plan to take their pictures in their first day of school outfit, and have a special home from school snack waiting for them. I will have to try those brownies, they look delicious.

My son is too young for school now but when I was growing up we would lay out our new outfit the night before school and then when we all got home from school we would tell each other all about our first day of school.

My oldest just started Kindergarten this year, so we have been trying to think of traditions to either keep or start. I remember my mom making us a hot breakfast everyday except Friday, and that was cold cereal day. I think I will continue that tradition. Mostly because cold cereal doesn’t seem to keep you going quite as long.

We write down their current statistics (like height, weight, etc.) and list their favorites (like color, food, toy) on a piece of cardstock and draw their hands on the back. Then we take tons of pictures and have homemade cookies waiting for them when they return home.

Our tradition is to walk our daughter to school. I’m loving all these other comments! My mother never dressed up in funny outfits and waved us down with cookies, but my husband’s mother once greeted the kids at the bus stop dressed as Darth Vader.

Can’t wait to try this recipe! Our tradition has always been school clothes shopping & rounding up school supplies. I remember I absolutely had to have the Trapper Keeper…and a pair of Calvin Klein’s. 🙂 It’s nice to get back into a routine, packing healthy lunches along with the dreaded bed time rituals.

I love taking the kids shopping for their backpacks and lunch boxes. It’s been fun (and a little bittersweet) to see how they’ve gone from Cinderella and Spiderman to just plain backpacks with lots of pockets.

I also take their picture in front of the school sign each year. I think the sign must be shrinking!

We always start back to school with homemade pancakes and a special prayer with our kids. I love the peanut butter brownie recipe. You are honestly my fav. I check you every dad for your yummy recipes.

We have to have the first day of school picture every year. I started last year in PreK. Her Kindergarten one was a few weeks ago. I think I’ll take an end of the year picture too, just to see how much she changes in those 9 months! Great giveaway!

My take each one of my kids shopping before school and let them pick out several outfits. The night before they pick out their favorite outfit to wear. I always take their picture the first day in the same spot every year. It’s fun to see how much they change every year.

One thing that I remember about school with my mom is that she always got up and made us breakfast. Even when she started to work early mornings we would find the pancake mix or whatever was for breakfast waiting on the conter when we got up and going. I would love to be that mom for my kids when we start school!

The last weekend before school starts we tried to do something special to kick off the new school year. The kids would all pick out what they were going to wear for the first day of school and lay their clothes out the night before. They were always ready super early on that first day (this would fizzle real soon!). Pics were a must! Then a special treat when they returned home and we’d hear all about the happenings of their first day!

My mom was a working mom, but on the first day of school she would go to the thrift store and find the most hideous outfit to stand on the porch with while holding a plate of cookies and waving to us to welcome us home from the first day of school. Though for many years we would hide in embarrassment, and yell for her to get in the house before the bus of kids saw her, my mom would always say, “nothing at school could have been worse than this!” Ya…she said she was helping us build our self esteem! Haha My husbands family always had blueberry muffins – I think that’s the one we’ll pass on!!!

I take 1st day of school photos every year including a photo of them walking onto the bus. This year I decided to start the tradition of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk right after school and I was glad I did- the kids opened up and told me all sorts of details about school I could have missed. These brownies look delicious, thanks for the recipe!

Those brownies look delish! After the first day of school it is essential in my family to go out for ice cream RIGHT after school- we usually eat a later dinner and maybe not as much but it is a fun tradition!